Improvement in hay and cotton presses



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

G. A. HOTCHKISS, OF BENNINGTON, INDIANA.

'IMPROVEMENT |N HAY AND COTTON PRESSES, etc.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 35.9 I3, dated July l5, 186;.

.To LZ whom it may concern/.

Be it known that I, G. A. Ho'rcniriss, of Bennington, Pleasanttownshi p, ofthe county of Switzerland, in the State of- Indiana, have invented a new and useful Machine for Bressing or Baling Hay, Cotton, Ste.; and I d0 hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexedrdrawings, making a part of this specification, in which-f Figure l is a front elevation, and Fig. 2 a side view, of themachine.

In both figures the same letter indicates the same part.

A A A A are four uprights held together by the cross-pieees B B B B. In front of the two upright-s A A', Fig. l, are two other uprights, one of which, C, is shown in the side view, Fig. 2, but omitted in Fig. 1. anterioruprights, C, are secured to two of the cross-pieces at bottom firmly, and at top to another one of the cross-pieces by means of the spindles or axes of the rollers a a and pulley. The space between the anterior uprights, G, and those nearest behind them, A -A, should be sufficient to admit the free action of thelevers and arms hereinafter to be described.

D is the chest or box into which the material is pressed. rlhis chest is open at top and has two doors-one in front, the other in the rearat the bottom, through which the bale is to be removed when properly pressed. The ends of this chest are extended upward to the upper cross-pieces, B B. In the drawings thesev end pieces are indicated by the letter E.

F is the follower; G, levers; H, arms attached to and operated by the levers; I, main shaft; K and K, rollers; L, cross-bar, which passes through slots in the end pieces, E E; b b, two pulleys for directing the cord that connects the follower with the drum o on the main shaft; d d, rollers; c e, pulleys; ff, pins locking into the staples g g, to retain the lower end ofthe arms H H in their proper places; h,

sweep.

Operation: In placing this machine the best position it could occupy would be such that the loose hay or cotton should be on a door level with the upper edge of the chest or box. The motive-power is applied to the sweep 7i, which, operating the upright shaft I, elevates the chest.

the levers G G, with their arms H H, by means of cords wound up by the roller K. as this action commences the cross-bar L is removed to allow the follower also to ascend ont of the chest, which it does by means of the cord which connects it with the drum c. The position to which these several parts are to be lifted is indicated in red. Vhen in this position the hay or cotton is filled into the chest through the upper opening. The motion of the main shaft is then reversed. The follower F descends by its own gravity until it is low enough to allow the cross-bar L to be passed through the slots in E over its upper surface. The arms H H then take hold upon the end of this bar and force it downward, carrying with it, of course, the follower. The arms H H, receiving their force from the levers G G,

these latter are brought into action in this direction by means of cords that, passing over their'- outer end, are wound up on roller K. rlhe rollers K and K are moved by cords connecting them directly with the main shaft I. Before the filling ofthe chest is commenced, the slots in the ends E E should be closed by bars of a proper size to fit them. The inner end of the arms G G- are secured by a cleat and pin, as shown in the drawings. It is of importance to have the follower to run free and easy. I therefore make use offriction-rollers in them, the ends cf which are seen at x x. The drum c is thrown out of gear to allow the follower to descend by means of an arrangement seen at y. As this drum has a greater diameter than the shaft, it is evident the follower will be lifted with greater rapidity than the arms H. The object of this difference in motion is to allow the follower to be'used as a beater. On the drum a small pin is seen, which, being caught by the catch y, attached to the shaft, carries the drum around, thereby elevating the follower until it reaches the position-indicated in red lines on Fig. l. At this point the catch is liberated from the pin by the arm or lifter e', and the drum being set free, the follower falls immediately upon the materials in As this operation of the follower will take place several `times during the elevation of the arms, it enables me to give a more uniform compression throughout to the bale than can be done when the materials of which it is composed are only subjected to one com- As soon pressing action, as is usually the case. When the chest has been filled inthis manner, the follower is brought or let down upon this partly-compressed mass, the bar L passed over it through the slots in the ends E and under the pendent ends of the arms H. The movement of the shaft I is now reversed by changing the direction of the horses or other motor attached to the sweep h. Then, through the action of the roller K, the levers and arms are kbrought down, carrying with them the follower, until the mass is compressed to the required size. The doors shown in the lower part of the chest D are then opened and the bale secured and removed.

I have represented the cords moving the rollers K and K as being wound upon the body of the shaft I. This would of course require great exactness in the size of the rollers, and of the shaft throughoutits length, that the cords operating,` the elevation and depression of the lever may act with uniformity. To obviate the necessity of this nice adjustment of parts, I propose to place sleeves on the shaft I to receive these cords, and by catches secure or relieve them as the changes take place in the direction of motion of the shaft. By this arrangement, while the sleeve which operates K, bringing down the arms G, is in action, the one which operates K will be liberated or set free, thus preventing any counter-strain upon the cords resulting from an inequality of the size of the rollers or the shaft.

Having thus fully described the nature and operation of my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The combination of the bar L, passing through slots or their equivalents in the end of the chest, with the levers G G and arms H H, operating.,r the ram or follower F, substantially as described.

2. Aetuating the levers G G by the shaft I through the instrumentality of the rollers K and K', substantially in the manner set forth.

3. Actuating the follower F as a ram or pounder by means of the shaft I and drum` c, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

e. A. Horeniziss.l

NVitliesses:

H. KING, A. lno. SMITH. 

